Clothes rack



March 3, 1964 T. T. HAAG CLOTHES RACK Filed April 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

March 3, 1964 T. T. HAAG 3,123,221

CLOTHES RACK Filed April 20. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 j .b- ,7/ ,fd i; /f

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I Il INVENToR. .l Z2 :l: i12 7%@017e 7,' Hdd?. g'Lf March 3, 1964 T. T. HAAG 3,123,221

CLOTHES RACK Filed April 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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CLOTHES RACK Filed April 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l f j j* fi :ffm| 321/ E 6 l' d E 1 I /4 l 5 1li/,75 4,5 F75/.E i. y I 74] 4 L r A L j; u l

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:i l ,5f 47 INVENTOR. 7ea707c Z tats This invention relates to clothes racks, and particularly to a clothes rack usable for adults or childrens clothes.

The clothes rack of the present invention embodies a pair of rectangular side members which are connected together Iat the top and bottom by laterally extending crossbars in rigid relation to each other. The Side members have bosses at the bottom corners for supporting the feet or casters to permit the rack to be moved over the floor. A bottom ycrossbar is supported at the base of the rectangular side members and angular braces are secured to the side members and to the crossbar in a manner to have the upper ends of the side members disposed angularly inwardly, requiring a force to separate them sufriciently to permit a shelf to be placed therein. This puts a strain on the side members, the bottom crossbar and the bracing members to thereby rigidly retain them in assembled relationship. The top crossbar is supported on the cross members provided in the side members below the top thereof so as to have the hangers vavailable near the -top and near the central portion of the side members for adults and childrens clothing, respectively. A shelf, the same as that supported at the top of the assembly between the two side members, may also be secured to the cross members thereof below the top, which cross member contains slots for supporting the coat hanger crossbar therebelow, at a height adaptable for children.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a rack for supporting hangers for clothing and shelves for hats and packages made up of members shipped knocked down, but which, when put together, form a rigid construction; to construct a rack from a pair of side members having fe-et or cas-ters on the bottom and cross members at the bottom, near the middle and at the top, each containing an aperture for receiving an end of a crossbar secu-red between the members and connected by `corner elements which stress the members when a top shelf is applied to the assembly; to provide a pair of side members fora clothes rack having means `for supporting a crossbar at different heights for hangers for adults and childrens clothingretained under stress when secured together, and, in genera-l, to provide a knock-down type of coat rack made up of elements which are readily assembled, which are economical to manufacture, and which are rigidly secured together.

Other objects and features of lnovelty of the invention will -be specifically pointed out `or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the .accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a view in elevation of a coat rack embodlyinig features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged `end View of the structure illustrated in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the structure illustrated in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged broken sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken on the line 44 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken on the line 6 6 thereof;

tent icc FIG. 7 is an enlarged, broken sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken on the line 7-7 thereof;

FIG. 8 is a sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 7, taken on the line S-S thereof;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6, taken on the line 9-9 thereof;

FIG. l0* is an enlarged view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken from the line =10-1t}` thereof;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional View of the structure illustrated in FiG. 4, taken on the line 11--11 thereof;

FIG. |12` is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken on the line 12-'12 thereof;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken on the line 13-13 thereof, and

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, taken on the line le-lt thereof.

The rack as illustrated in FIG. `l, embodies two side members 16 and 17 which are of like construction, a crossbar 13 at the bottom, a hanger supporting bar 19 at the top and a shelf 21 above the hanger bar, so arranged as to lock the elements of the rack in rigid, stressed relationship. When corner bracing bars 22 and 23- are secured in place, the top ends of the two side members '16 and '17 are deflected ltoward each other and when a shelf is forced therebetween the elements of the assembly are stressed into rigid relationship. The side members are constructed `from a pair of facing channel elements 24 having inturned edge flanges 25, as illustrated more speciically in FIG. 10. A downwardly presenting channel element 26 interconnects the two elements 24, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8. A downwardly presenting channel-shaped member 27 is disposed directly below the channel member 26 and a second downwardly presented channel member 28` disposed a substantial distance below the member 27. The members 27 and 2S have downwardly presented arch apertures 2:9 through the central por-tion of the flanges thereof. A stop web 311 is provided between the flanges by a downwardly presenting channel element 32 which extends within the mouth of the members 27 and 23 and is secured thereto. rfhe element 32 has sections 33 cut therein from both sides at the apertures 29. The web 31 thereat remains between the cutout sections 33 thereby limiting the degree of extension of the arched bar 19 in the apertures 29 from either side of the members l27 and 2S. An inwardly extending channel element 34 nests within each side channel element 24 between the flanges 25 which are welded in position, las clearly illustrated in FIG. yl0. At the time the two elements 34 are welded to the flanges 25, extending lingers '55 of a cross member 36 extend within apertures 30 within the web of the spaced, aligned ychannel element 34. Central-ly of the cross member 36 a downwardly extending channel member 37 is welded or otherwise secured. A pair of side anges 38 of the channel member 37 have notches 39 therein which engage the edges 4'1 of the slots 42 in the bottom crossbar 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 13 and 14. This structure forms thecorner bracing bars 22 and 23 referred to hereinabove.

A downwardly opening channel member 45 extends between the spaced channel elements 24 of each of the side members 16 and 17, having side flanges 46 at the ends which are welded to the edge flanges 25 of the channel elements 24. A downwardly open channel member 47 is nested within the bottom of each open end of the channel members 45 land welded thereto. A slot 48 is provided in the inner face of the inner flange of the channel member 45, the edges of which are reinforced and extended by an inverted channel-shaped element 49 having feet 5.1 which are welded to the web of the channel member 47. The slot 48 is of a size to snugly receive the end of the bottom crossbar 18 which has inwardly directed iianges 52 to provide additional strength thereto.

Casters supporting housings 53 have spaced extending flanges 54 which engage opposite sides of the `opposite channel elements 2d and are welded thereto. Sockets 55 are disposed in the bottom of the housings for receiving the stem 56 of casters 57, in the conventional manner.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the cr-oss members 27 and 23 have their side portions extended at ed Iand welded to the inner surface of the side flanges of the channel elements 24. The channel member Z6 extends across the space between the channel elements at the top of the side members lo and 17 to close the top edge thereof. After the crossbars i8 and .i9 are positioned in their respective apertures and the ends of the members 37 are inserted in the slots 42 inthe crossbar .18 to form the corner braces 22 and 23, it only remains to place the shelf 2l in position between the spread top ends of the side members 16 and -17 to rigidly retain the elements and members in ixed relation to each other.

The shelf is formed from a sheet of metal to have downwardly extending flanges 6l at the front and the back which are flanged inwardly at 62., with the top panel recessed at 63 and the web of the recesses provided with a slot 64. The ends of the shelf have a web of an L-shaped element 65 and a bottom flange 66 welded thereto, with the outwardly extending top flanges 67 resting upon the to-p channel elements 26. The elements 26 have spaced, aligned slots 68 and the flange 67 has a cutout portion 69 forming a tab 7l which extends through the adjacent one of the slots` 68. The tops of the side members i6 and 17 are forced apart to receive the shelf 21 which thereby locks the elements and members into such solid relationship as to be movable on the casters 57 at the four corners of 4the rack. Similar slots 68 are provided in the channel members 27 and 28 of the side members le and i7 so that additional shelves may be applied thereto, the shelf in the channel member 2S being omitted when the hanger supporting bar 19 is disposed in the siots in the members 27. When the supporting bar 19 is placed in the slots 219 in the members Z8, then two shelves may be supported at the same time on the resulting rack. Apertures 29 are provided in both sides of the channel members 217 and 28, permitting the crossbars `il@ to be placed in both sides of either member, as illustrated in the member Z7 of FlG. 4. When the bars are placed in both sides of a member 2.7, the racks are disposed in extension of each other and locked in position by the shelves 2l, as explained hereinabove.

When the rack is to be assembled, the crossbar 18 is rst applied to the side members 16 and 17 with a bar 19 placed in position in the apertures 2g of the crossbar .2,7 or 2,8. The channel members 37 are swung into position with the edges 3S extending into notches 4t2 to have the notches 39 receive the edge 4l of the top web of the cross `brace iS. The tops of the side members i6 and 1'7 are spread apart sufficiently to drop the shelf 2.1 onto the channel elements 2id with the tabs 7l extending into adjacent slots 66 in the web thereof. This locks all of the elements and members in rigid relation to each other, permitting the rack to be moved on the four casters 57 which are supported in the sockets 55 in the corner housings 53 at the bottom of the members 16 and 17.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rack, channel side members, a bottom crossbar between said side members, a top shelf frictionally secured between said side members by a compressive pressure exerted on the ends thereof, said side members having Iapertures therein near the top and a coat-hanger crossbar yextending in said apertures, said apertures extending through the side members, and a web disposed cent-rally of the side member across said apertures for limiting the extent that the ends of the coat-hanger crossbar may project thereinto, permitting aligned rails to be supported from both sides of the side members to thereby have additional racks extended at either or both sides thereof.

2. lln a rack, a pair of side members made up of vertically disposed facing channel elements interconnected by a downwardly open channel member at the topy the web of which contains parallel spaced slots intermediate its ends, a pair of downwardly open channel members spaced from the top and each other, said members being welded to the flanges of said channel elements, said pair of channel members having apertures extending through the sides thereof, downwardly open channel elements extending into the open side of said pair of channel members for reinforcing the same and extending into the area of said apertures with sections cut out leaving a central web for limiting the extent to which a crossbar may enter the aperture, a crossbar of downwardly open channel section having a plurality of slots therein for hangers and its ends extending into the apertures in the side members, downwardly open bottom cross members on each side member having aligned central apertures reinforced by downwardly open channel-shaped elements, a bottom crossbar having its ends extending into the apertures in the bottom cross members and having slots in the web thereof, a channel member pivotally supported on each side element and having notches in the ends of the sides thereof which engage the ends of slots in the web of the 'bottom crossbar, and a top shelf retaining said side elements in locked rigid relation when the top ends are spread apart sufficiently to have the shelf disposed therebetween.

3. yIn a rack, a pair o-f side members made up of vertically disposed facing channel elements interconnected -by a downwardly open channel member at the top the web of which contains parallel spaced slots intermediate its ends, a pair of downwardly `open channel members spaced from the top and each other, said members being welded to the ilanges -of said channel elements, said pair of channel members having apertures extending through the sides thereof, downwardly open channel elements extending into the open side of said pair of channel members for reinforcing the same and extending into the area of said apertures with sections cut out leaving a central web for limiting the extent lto which a crossbar may enter the aperture, a crossbar of downwardly open channel section having a plurality `of slots therein for hangers and its ends extending into the `apertures in the side members, downwardly open bottom cross members on eaoh side member having aligned central apertures reinforced by downwardly open channel-shaped elements, a bottom cross-bar having its ends extending into the apertures in the bottom cross members and having slots in the web thereof, a channel member pivotally supported on each side element and having notches in the ends ot the sides thereof which engage the ends of slots in the web of the bottom crossbar, a top shelf retaining said side elements in locked rigid relation when the top ends are spread apart sufficiently to have Ithe shelf disposed therebetween, and a downwardly extending tongue on each end of the shelf insertable in the adjacent slot in the Web of the top cross member.

4. ln a rack, a pair of side members made up of vertically disposed facing channel elernents interconnected by a downwardly open channel member at the top the web `of which contains parallel spaced `slots intermediate its ends, a pair of downwardly open channel members spaced `from the top and each other, said members being welded to the flanges yof said channel elements, said pair of channel members having apertures extending through the sides thereof, downwardly open channel elements extending into the open side of said pair of channel members for reinforcing the same and extending into the area of said apertures with :sections cut out leaving a central web for limiting the extent to which a crossbar may enter the aperture, a crossbar of downwardly open channel section having a plurality of slots therein for hangers and its ends extending into the apertures in the `side members, downwardly open bottom cross members on each side member having aligned central apertures reinforced by downwardly open channel-shaped elements, a bottom crossbar having its ends extending into the apertures in the bottom cross members and having slots in the web thereof, a channel member pivotally supported on each side element and having notches in `the ends of the sides thereof which engage the end of slots in `the web of the bottom crossbar, a top shelf retaining said iside elements in locked rigid relation when the top ends are `spread apart suciently to have the shelf disposed therebetween, and an additional erossbar having an end projecting into `the aperture from the opposite side of the cross member fat the top of the side member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,762 De Saussure Dec. 8, 1931 2,691,238 Svatos Oct. 12, 1954 2,793,764 `Stork May 28, 1957 10 2,894,644 Magnuson July 14, 1959 

2. IN A RACK, A PAIR OF SIDE MEMBERS MADE UP OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED FACING CHANNEL ELEMENTS INTERCONNECTED BY A DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL MEMBER AT THE TOP THE WEB OF WHICH CONTAINS PARALLEL SPACED SLOTS INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, A PAIR OF DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL MEMBERS SPACED FROM THE TOP AND EACH OTHER, SAID MEMBERS BEING WELDED TO THE FLANGES OF SAID CHANNEL ELEMENTS, SAID PAIR OF CHANNEL MEMBERS HAVING APERTURES EXTENDING THROUGH THE SIDES THEREOF, DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL ELEMENTS EXTENDING INTO THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID PAIR OF CHANNEL MEMBERS FOR REINFORCING THE SAME AND EXTENDING INTO THE AREA OF SAID APERTURES WITH SECTIONS CUT OUT LEAVING A CENTRAL WEB FOR LIMITING THE EXTENT TO WHICH A CROSSBAR MAY ENTER THE APERTURE, A CROSSBAR OF DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL SECTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS THEREIN FOR HANGERS AND ITS ENDS EXTENDING INTO THE APERTURES IN THE SIDE MEMBERS, DOWNWARDLY OPEN BOTTOM CROSS MEMBERS ON EACH SIDE MEMBER HAVING ALIGNED CENTRAL APERTURES REINFORCED BY DOWNWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL-SHAPED ELEMENTS, A BOTTOM CROSSBAR HAVING ITS ENDS EXTENDING INTO THE APERTURES IN THE BOTTOM CROSS MEMBERS AND HAVING SLOTS IN THE WEB THEREOF, A CHANNEL MEMBER PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON EACH SIDE ELEMENT AND HAVING NOTCHES IN THE ENDS OF THE SIDES THEREOF WHICH ENGAGE THE ENDS OF SLOTS IN THE WEB OF THE BOTTOM CROSSBAR, AND A TOP SHELF RETAINING SAID SIDE ELEMENTS IN LOCKED RIGID RELATION WHEN THE TOP ENDS ARE SPREAD APART SUFFICIENTLY TO HAVE THE SHELF DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN. 